Industry Professor’s Annual Report

Students – a Highlight of NCBA Convention

By Chris Calkins, Ph.D.

I just got back from Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show and am more enthusiastic than ever. That’s partly because I had the honor of taking four students and Anita Ferrell, UNL Animal Science admissions coordinator. What a pleasure it was to introduce students to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Anita coordinated our presence at the trade show booth, sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Vice Chancellor John Owens covered the costs for the students to represent the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in the trade show. Some of you were able to attend the trade show reception held at our booth. All Nebraskans who attended (and a guest from Alabama, I think) came away with some kind of prize. Bell Creek Beef graciously provided coupons for strip steaks so that some lucky participants could enjoy great Nebraska beef! 

Besides doing all of the trade show activities, the students were active participants in the convention. They attended the opening general session and heard motivational speaker Kevin Freiberg inspire the large crowd to get connected and involved. The students then spent the next four hours at the booth during the trade show reception, answering questions, distributing alumni ribbons and providing university information, along with great beef jerky (courtesy of Omaha Steaks International). The next day, several students got up early and attended the Cattle-Fax update session, committing to the $30 entry fee before they learned that the costs would be covered. They attended update sessions and observed the work of the organization through subcommittee meetings (including the Product Enhancement Subcommittee chaired by Bill Rishel).

I wish all of you could have heard the discussion at dinner Friday night (provided by the NU Foundation and IANR development director Ann Bruntz), which illustrated why it’s important to take students to such events. Crystal Olson informed her fiancé by telephone that he’d better be prepared to attend these conventions in the future. Adam Johnson was impressed that he could have an impact on national policy through the organization. Jason Warner was able to share his resumé with several people looking for interns this summer and Sarah Vanness was campaigning for other students to be given the opportunity to attend.

I cannot tell you how proud I was of their behavior and attitude. These students handled themselves with a level of professionalism and maturity we all should emulate. I hope you took the time to meet them. In fact, we discussed the concept of bringing a larger contingent of students to Reno next year. Stay tuned for opportunities to help out. I appreciate your interest in these students. They were impressed with the number of people who approached them, introduced themselves and wanted to know more about the students.

Our research continues to garner national attention. I was an invited speaker with feedlot specialist Galen Erickson at the Product Enhancement Subcommittee to discuss the effects of distiller’s grains on beef product quality. As most of you know, this is a topic of growing concern and an area of active research. In fact, I was able to share preliminary results of a cutting-edge research project funded by the Nebraska Beef Council (NBC). Thanks to NBC executive director Ann Marie Bosshamer and the Board of Directors for having the vision to fund this important work.

I also spent time with the Veal Council and Veal Subcommittee. In 2006, I worked with colleagues at the University of Florida to conduct a study on veal muscle optimization. The veal industry is aggressively working on a go-to-market strategy focused on getting more veal into casual dining restaurants. The results of our research form the foundation of their new product development program. Some of you may wonder why I am involved, since there’s not much veal produced in Nebraska. I found this to be a great opportunity to train graduate students and contribute to the overall goal of increasing consumer demand for beef by 10 percent by 2010. Accomplishing that increase in demand will require all of us to look for innovative ways to help.

One of the other messages I brought home from the NCBA convention was the importance of exports. Before BSE, exports added $95 per head to every market steer and heifer harvested in Nebraska. Given that 96 percent of the world population lives outside the United States, we will need to continue to support international marketing efforts.

Other research projects also keep us engaged in the industry. The results of our research project on a new enhancement system for beef are consistent with the decision of BPI, Inc., to announce a $400 million expansion in Nebraska – the largest beef plant expansion ever. I predict this technology will become commonplace.

In addition, we continue development of a grading instrument capable of predicting beef tenderness. Preliminary studies are very encouraging and additional research is underway to validate the proof-of-concept results. Depending on the data, we hope to develop an on-line version of the technology that can be tested.

Of course, there are numerous other projects in progress, including trying to identify the source of off-flavors in certain beef cuts that also ties in connections to geographic origin and feed. Taste panels are scheduled this spring, so we should know more soon.

I hope you can see why I am so energized. The NCBA Convention was a great experience for the students, a wonderful opportunity to tell people about our UNL programs and a chance for others to learn about the relevancy of our research. It was also a great chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues throughout the country. Finally, I learned the research priorities and desired focus for the coming year. The NCBA convention was an outstanding meeting. Being involved with the organization representing America’s cattle producers is a privilege and an honor. I’ll definitely be in Reno in 2008!  Y By Chris R. Calkins, Ph.D., UNL beef industry professor of Animal Science.

Sidebar:

UNL Students Benefit from NCBA Convention Experience

Four UNL students staffed the university’s booth at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn. They also participated in meetings throughout the week. Anita Ferrell, UNL Animal Science Department admissions coordinator, helped oversee operations. Here’s what they had to say about their convention experience.

Anita Ferrell, Animal Science Department admissions coordinator

Attending the NCBA National Convention and Trade Show has given this elite group of students incredible insight into the U.S. beef industry. We were excited to see the students take the initiative in making the most of their experience by participating in meetings and visiting with people at the UNL/Nebraska Department of Ag trade show display. Not only were the students able to come away with an increased awareness and appreciation for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, but they were also remarkable ambassadors for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nebraska.

Jason Warner, sophomore, Animal Science and Grazing Livestock Systems major from Arapahoe 

More than anything, I gained a broader and more practical viewpoint of the beef industry as a whole. Sometimes, we as producers, get “tunnel vision.” We need to think about how issues on national and global levels affect us at home. Also, we as beef producers should accept change as a fact of life and embrace certain changes as ways to remain profitable.

Sarah Vanness, recent UNL graduate and new graduate student in ruminant nutrition from Wausa

My trip to the Cattle Industry Annual Convention was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed sitting in on some of the forums to find out what is going on with different policies and what will be sent to congress. The Nebraska reception was a great way for me to meet the other cattlemen from Nebraska. I didn’t know many of the people who were there, but I enjoyed talking to everyone and learning where they are from or what they do in the beef industry. After attending this convention I have decided to attend more in the future to stay current on the issues affecting the beef industry today.

Adam Johnson, senior, Animal Science major, Cody

The entire experience was great. I enjoyed speaking with people from all over the country as well as Canada and Mexico who were interested in Nebraska’s research. The exposure to the breakout sessions where future policy was being shaped was also very interesting. Most important for me, however, was the chance to meet and visit with some of Nebraska’s most progressive and influential producers. Overall I would describe the trip as a building block for future success in ranching.

Crystal Olson, senior, Ag Journalism major, Axtell,

The Cattle Industry Convention was a great opportunity for me not only to network with key leaders in the beef industry, but was also was a chance to see how beef producers from across the nation come together to form NCBA policy. This was my first NCBA convention, but it won’t be my last.

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Caption: (L to R) Anita Ferrell, Jason Warner, Adam Johnson, Crystal Olson, Sarah Vanness and Chris Calkins, pose in front of the University of Nebraska booth at the NCBA trade show in Nashville at the national convention.